Her Guardian Angel
by Herochick007
Summary: After three strikes, three times Hermione Granger didn't fall in love and marry, Alicia is cast from being her guardian angel. Could Alicia be the one who wins Hermione's heart? Fallen angelAU/Farm AU


**A/N:I don't own Harry Potter**

**This is for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**

**Writing Club December**

**Disney Challenge: Themes - Defying Stereotypes - Write about someone defying a stereotype.**

**Amber's Attic: 20 - New York Dolls: Write about someone who doesn't adhere to gender roles and/or stereotypes.**

**Sophie's Shelf: Scenarios - Moving in together**

**Winter funfair**

**Southern Funfair – Magical Mistletoe (Hermione/Alicia Spinnet)**

**Northern Funfair – Christmas Sing-Along - Christmas Must Be Tonight - The Band - "On a cold winter night, a band of Angels sing" - Being: Angel**

**Eastern Funfair – Winter Cocktails - Hot Toddy: (word) tradition**

**Word Count: 1278**

The sun shone off the early morning snow as Hermione stepped out of the house. Her breath made a small cloud as she walked. In the distance, she could hear water gurgling. The pond had yet to freeze over, but she knew it would before the season was over.

She had nearly reached the cattle pen when something caused a ruckus in the chicken coup. She rushed over there, praying that the red fox that had been hanging around hadn't gotten yet another of her prize hens. When she got to the coup, the door was hanging off the hinges, she could hear something rustling around inside, something bigger than the chickens.

She grabbed her shotgun and walked over to the doorway.

"Who ever is in there, come out now. I warn you, I'm armed," she called. The rustling grew louder and finally a young woman stumbled to the doorway. Hermione's hand trembled. The woman's face was smeared with grit and dirt, her black hair was plastered to side of her face, and she was wearing nothing more than a thin white dress.

"Did... did... did I make it?" she whispered looking at Hermione, her dark topaz eyes unfocused. Hermione lowered her wand.

"Make it to where?" Hermione asked talking a step towards the woman.

"Earth. Please, tell me I made it?"

"Yes, you made it," Hermione answered. The woman smiled before her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed at Hermione's feet.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA

Hermione watched the woman sleep on her sofa. She'd quickly managed to carry her inside, temporarily forgetting about feeding the animals. She knew they wouldn't like to be thrown off their feeding schedules, but this was an emergency.

Slowly the woman's eyes started to flutter open. Hermione stayed seated in the chair next to the sofa, wondering if she should have called someone, but she wasn't sure who. The woman finally opened her eyes and looked over at Hermione.

"Good morning," Hermione stated. "I'm Hermione. Could you please tell me who are and why you were in my chicken coup?"

"Alicia, I am called Alicia. I don't know how I ended up in your chicken coup, well, I guess in a way, it probably has to do with me being your guardian angel."

"Guardian angel, really?"

"Yes, really. I was you guardian angel, at least I was, but now... now I think I might have messed up. I was supposed to protect you, make sure your life went a certain way. Most mortals refer to it as fate."

"What do you mean you messed up?" Hermione asked. "My life is fine!"

"Yes, well, I know you think it is, but it's not supposed to be like this. You were supposed to fall in love at fourteen, but you didn't. That was strike one for me, since I let it not happen."

"Fall in love with whom?" Hermione asked. "And would you like a cup of tea? If we're going to be going over my whole life story, I'd rather do it with something to drink."

"That would be great, thank you. You've always been so kind and generous," Alicia stated. Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes. This whole thing seemed like a mess. She wasn't even sure guardian angels actually existed, much less that Alicia was, or had been, one. While Hermione made the tea, Alicia took a seat at the table and looked around the kitchen.

"I remember when you were little and nearly burned yourself on the stove," she commented. "I managed to grab your romper at the last moment. You ended up on your behind howling like a little banshee."

"I don't remember that," Hermione stated placing a cup of tea in front of Alicia.

"You were only just a little thing."

"You were going to tell me how my life was supposed to be remember?"

"Right, well, when you didn't fall in love with Ron at fourteen, well, each guardian angel gets three strikes before they're either reassigned or, in my case, removed from the program as they call it. That was my first strike."

"And the second?" Hermione asked taking a sip of her tea. "You must have gotten three strikes to end up here."

"The second was when you were sixteen and that traveler you helped save."

"Harry? The young man I helped escape from his abusive home?"

"Yes, him, instead of keeping him here on your parents' farm, you sent him away. He was your second chance at love, in a way."

"Ick. I could never have loved Harry, not like that! We're still close though, he's like a brother to me."

"Yes, I know and it's wonderful he settled down with the Weasley daughter. They make a decent pair, I don't know why that counted a strike against me since it turned out so much better."

"Because your boss is an idiot?" Hermione suggested. "Has it ever occurred to anyone that maybe I'm not interested in falling in love and getting married?"

"I did suggest that maybe that was the wrong path for you."

"And?"

"I was laughed out of the room. You're a lovely young woman, with a great mind, but see, the people upstairs are a bit..."

"Traditional? Pigheaded? Idiotic? Trust me, I've heard all of it before. I need a husband to help run the farm and if I don't want one there is something wrong with me. Let me guess, that idiot that stumbled past a few days ago was strike three?"

"Actually, it was the teacher to tried to proposition you into a loveless marriage."

"Snape? Figures, well, at least I don't have you trying to convince me to marry him. You're not planning to are you?"

"No, of course not, Hermione. He was a horrid match, much too old for you. No, the problem is I have a feeling no man in this place is the right match. That's why I never tried to push you down that path. I don't regret it."

"Do you regret losing your wings?"

" No, not if it puts me here, with you."

"Alicia, I... We just met..."

"I feel like I've known you your whole life, Hermione, in a way I have. Do you not feel any kind of connection?" Alicia asked looking into Hermione's hazelnut colored eyes. Hermione bit her lower lip staring back at Alicia. Slowly, she nodded.

"I do, I do feel something, a sense of comfort, of safety with you, Alicia. I can't guarantee that it'll ever grow into more, the feelings you seem to have for me, but I think, that well, actually, I'd like to stay here. You can work right?"

"I can learn!" Alicia stated giving Hermione a relieved smile. Hermione returned it with ease trying to ignore the pounding of her heart. After all, just because Alicia had been with her since the beginning didn't mean this was love, that it was anything more than just a strange new sensation, a new idea that she couldn't help but hope did become something more. The idea of spending the rest of her life with this woman, this fallen angel, excited her more than any of the three men who had been her potential mates.

"Great, we can start by feeding the cattle and gathering the eggs you didn't break falling to Earth. You can borrow my spare pair of boots for now. After chores, we'll go into town and get you some more appropriate clothing."

Alicia nodded finishing her tea and following Hermione knowing this outcome would lead her previous charge to a much happier ending than either of them would ever realize.


End file.
